Summer Time

I love summer. Love the weather, love the activities and the trips.

However, I'm very jealous of my next door neighbor who is a teacher. Her school is finished for the summer and I don't believe she has a seasonal job... I went to the mailbox earlier and saw her out taking a walk with her new puppy. Jealous that she does not have to work and gets to enjoy the weather, and also jealous that she has a new puppy. She also lays out in her backyard and I can see the view from my kitchen. Wish I could lay around in the middle of the day with no where to be.

Is it to late to switch careers or maybe husbands? Hah totally kidding. Alex and I spent the weekend in Chicago for a bachelor/bachelorette party which was fun fun fun. I love traveling now because a) I have PTO and b) We actually have some discretionary funds to use for trips and c) I have the best co-traveler in the world.

Life is truly wonderful we have someone to share in your adventures whether it be a significant other or a family member of friend. Once we arrived back from this Chicago adventure I checked my facebook and found a pleasant surprise. Kev's territory has increased to include Kentucky! He happened to be in Lexington and stopped by the new house for a beer.What a fun coincidence?! Another great thing about traveling is that now that we've graduated college many of our friends have moved to new places and it's so fun to have friends in multiple cities.

We had a great chat, and it just made me wish Maria (and everyone else) could be there with us. It also cracks me up that Kev was the second person to see the house (Erin being the first at Derby!).

Maria - I'm glad to hear that everything is going so smoothly. It was adorable to hear him talk about your future baby, and the fact that he is NOT NERVOUS AT ALL. Amazing. Can't wait to see you guys as parents. You'll be the first person to experience that kind of joy.

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer. Alex and I will be in Cleveland and Niagara Falls around 4th of July, but other than that we'll be done with any vacation trips. Any summer plans for everyone else?

Love you  -

LPJ

P.S. For a super easy sangria (a recipe I had last weekend) mix red wine with equal parts orange soda. Add cut up/slided apples, oranges and other fruit. Enjoy!

New House

Alex and I officially closed on the house yesterday. From the point when you make the offer on the house to the closing there are lots of things that could go wrong and mess up the entire deal so I've been holding my breath for a while. Luckily everything went super smooth for us! (My advice is pays to be organized with your taxes and other documents, and make sure that you check your credit score and pay off your credit cards).

Now I can finally let myself get really uber excited. We started moving in yesterday right after the closing, but since Alex had to go to Nashville for training there wasn't all that much time for moving or celebrating. We'll be leaving the celebrating for the weekend. It's very surreal. Our apartment was just starting to feel like home and I had just gotten everything exactly the way that I wanted it about a month ago (isn't that typical). I'm sure it won't take long to start feeling like the house is our home. Last night from the start of moving in boxes to going back to my apartment it was starting to feel more and more like reality because I was starting to see my stuff in the house (even if it is in boxes or on the kitchen counter haha).

I'll be in Cincinnati tomorrow and Thursday for work so I'm hoping to move in a couple loads tonight so that on Friday Alex and I will just focus on moving a few of the large items like the bed, couch, shelf, tv. I already have paint colors picked out but there are so many possibilities I'm sure the ideas in my head will change and shift many times.

Right now we're assuming that we'll be in Lexington for at least 2-5 years. That should be enough time to get all of your butts down here. The thought of having to move out of the house already stresses me out. Since we have more space we'll be able to accumulate more things which means packing takes longer and longer everytime you have to do it.

I think this whole buying a house thing has made me feel more like a grown up than getting married did. Maybe that's just me. I'm hoping to take some pics of the house as it looks right now and as we go through the process of painting and decorating and landscaping. I'm very much looking forward to being able to share it with each of you. And after living in my parent's house and our 1806 house I'm definitely excited to have one to call my own (after all I love to be the one to make the rules... haha). I am also so thankful to be embarking on this journey with Alex. I know this is one area that we'll have the same attitude and motivation and even dreams.

On another note.. this also means we're one step closer to getting a dog! Not for a while still, but now we have the house, the yard and the room! I'll be sending out moving announcements, but here's the address:

1724 Oak Place Ct
Lexington, KY 40515

www.flickr.com/photos/laurenjanesz (i'll be adding more pics soon)

<3 Lauren

P.S. Can't wait to start seeing some baby pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!! The countdown is on!

Finally!

So sorry this has taken me so long but here is the list of ideas of places that we came up with for future get-togethers:

-Austin, TX

-Charleston, SC

-Hilton Head

-NYC

-Boston, MA

-Washington, DC

-Outerbanks, NC

-Gatlinburg

-California (anywhere!)

-New Orleans

-Las Vegas?!

ADD whatever additions you like! Can't wait to plan a vacation!

Amy

John's new home

Just wanted to let you all know that John is officially being transferred to Cleveland (technically Twinsburg). Annnnnnnd he starts a week from today! Crazy! Although, he's not going to be moving permanently just yet so he'll be back in LA next Wednesday. They want to figure things out in California before they move him and all of his stuff, I guess. They will be deciding his schedule Wednesday so we'll see what they say. His new boss in Twinsburg was in a long term- long distance with his now wife. Consequently, he said he understands our situation wants to be helpful so HE suggested John fly into Cincinnati on Friday and drive up to Twinsburg on Sunday. It sounds like a much better situation for him and a great opportunity so I am very happy for him in that sense. I am also very happy that we will be able to see each other more often and less expensively (hopefully but with the price of gas maybe not!). The other good news is that it looks like I will be in Columbus and at the very least driving through it a whole lot more! Cleveland is also much closer to Syracuse (Meet in Niagara Falls Maria?!). And Lauren, you and Alex may also have to show us around Cleveland! So while I am hoping this is just a short-term move, as he will be continuing to search for jobs here in Cincinnati, it is certainly a big step in the right direction!

Amy

Hello Friends

Hi all, I told myself that I was not going to add to the sappiness of it all, but I also wanted you to know how much I love and appreciate each of you. What a great time I had last weekend! I think it's amazing that we are all so different, but have such a blast everytime we are all together. I went home again this weekend to see my family. My grandpa is in a nursing home and we aren't sure how much longer he will stick things out. Unlike when I was in college, I am realizing how important it is for me to just spend time with those I love. I think that I may continue to head home every couple weekends until things start to even out with his health. Last weekend was one that will be burned into my mind as one of those perfect, carefree times in life. Love you all. Erin

Oh what a wonderful weekend!

Oh what a wonderful weekend! I miss and love you girls so much. I am so lucky to have such strong, talented, supportive and genuinely kind...I could go on… women in my life. I am truly thankful that, as Maria said, even if we aren’t the best at seeing each other and speaking as often as we’d like I know that you are there and we can pick up right where we left off. How special and rare is that! It kind of broke my heart driving away because I wasn’t sure the next time we would all be together and I need my 1806 family!

I also just have to say that Hotel California and Toto’s Africa song came on BACK-TO-BACK just as I was driving out of Columbus. A sign? I think so.

Maria, you are going to be the most wonderful mother and I can't wait to see you and Kev be parents together. I especially can't wait to meet this little one! Between the two of you, grandparents, cousins, uncles, real aunties and fake aunties this baby is going to be smothered with love from all over the country. So exciting!

My next post (hopefully tomorrow when I have more time!) will be the list of cities Erin, Maria, Lauren and I quickly came up with for us to visit right before I left, so LC and MJ add your ideas!

Thanks for a truly happy and very much needed weekend in Columbus!

Amy

Thank you!

When I think back on this weekend in Columbus I know it is going to be one of those instant classics types of memories I have with all of you.  I know relationships sometimes need effort to work as well as ours but for this weekend it just felt so fluid and effortless, it's like I was never away at all.  I have a tendency to not have the appropriate emotional response as quickly as others, and when I had to say goodbye to Amy I felt overwhelmed by the fact that I wasn't just going to see her tomorrow.  It feels so normal and comfortable to be with everyone that I completely forgot I have a whole other life to which I had to return.  And even though we have been wonderful about seeing each other during the year I couldn't help but feel distraught that I wasn't going to see Amy for an undetermined amount of months.  And I can't help but feel that way now about everyone.  Luckily with this group, I think we do put the effort in.  I love our blog and our 1806  facebook page-thing.  Also your faces and our memories are sprinkled through my home, so any time I am missing you I find an old birthday card or one of our many, many pictures.  And now with all the wonderful gifts for the little one I have even more opportunities to think of you.

I am struggling to find the words to be able to express how grateful I am and how lucky I feel.  The baby shower was absolutely beautiful and blissfully perfect.  I am so happy that we got to celebrate another of life's big changes together.  Because when something big or scary or life-changing happens to me you are who I want to be around.  And you always are there when I need you.  You are the best friends that a girl could have.  Thank you for my wonderful shower and gifts and for taking the time to be with me to celebrate.  You are truly fabulous.

And for the millionth time, could I have everyone's address?  I have my address book ready to write them in this time!

I love you all so much and thank you again for such a wonderful time.

Maria R